Good Old Days

 

How I do long for the Gospel days of old,

The olden times when the Word of God was told,

How its truth and mercy to dying souls reached,

As God’s called servants, His words faithfully preached.

 

Where’s the Gospel power that once ruled on earth?

Which transformed lives, those of no heavenly worth?

O, the cleansing flood, washing sin-sick lives, all,

When in repentance, on Jesus, each would call.

 

Bring back the days when Christ’s disciples of old,

Without fear or favour His truth boldly told,

In words and in works, their lives testifying,

Who Jesus is to the ones, self-denying.

 

Where is the Spirit of wisdom and boldness?

That confounded the wise and their lawfulness?

Authority to tread each serpent and snake?

Showing divine power of which Jesus spake?

 

I long for the Church, yes, for you and for me,

The good old days we read of, that we will see,

And all the world’s ways, tempting and enticing,

Will find no place, if God’s Word is sufficing.

 

Holy Jesus, unearth in us our dead ways,

Keep us uneasy as Your Spirit displays,

In our faith-lacking lives, dearth and barrenness,

Revealing our need of Your now forgiveness.   

 

Divine Spirit, You’ve brought us this truth to face,

Implicit faith and trust in You have lost place,

You’ve seen our responses to Your displeasure, 

Lord, return us to Your Gospel’s full measure. 

Amen!